NEWS
Minister tries to reassure industry over cut to FiTs
l Government responds to concerns as industry predicts major job losses
Greg Barker, the Energy Minister, has sought to reassure the solar industry that the feed-in tariff (FiT) for domestic photovoltaic (PV) installations will not be cut again in April – and could even be raised. The government has come under sustained criticism since it slashed the tariff by more than half to 21p per kWh. It also issued a consultation paper on FiTs. Many in the solar-panel industry were concerned
that a further cut might take effect in April when further changes are brought in. From this date all new domestic PV sites will be required to meet ‘minimum efficiency standards’.
‘There are industry reports that thousands of planned PV installations have been cancelled’
However, Barker told a meeting with the Solar Trade
Association (STA) last month that a further cut in the tariff would not happen, and that the tariff could be actually be higher than 21p, according to a statement from the STA. There are industry reports that thousands of planned
PV installations have been cancelled since the tariff fell in December, and it is claimed that 25,000 jobs could be at risk. One major construction firm, Carillion, last month
warned 4,500 UK staff that their jobs could be affected as a result of the expected fall in the solar PV market. Meanwhile the legality of the FiTs cut is being
challenged in the High Court. Last month the court agreed to hear applications for a judicial review of the
Barker: ‘no further cut to PV feed-in tariff’
tariff change. The applications were brought by the environmental group, Friends of the Earth, and some solar panel firms. The government was also considering a number of revisions to the FiTs scheme to make the money go further, including a ‘capacity trigger’ that reduces the level of payments as the cost of installations falls in line with a growing market. This would mean that future consumers were not receiving a ‘disproportionate’ amount of tariff, a government spokesman said.
For more information visit:
www.decc.gov.uk
Doubts raised over new cash for Green Deal
The government has announced an additional £200m of funding for the Green Deal home efficiency scheme when it starts in October. The ‘new and additional’ funds will be part of
an ‘introductory’ offer to boost early take-up of the scheme, which will allow householders to borrow up to £10,000 to improve the efficiency of their homes. ‘This big injection of government funding
delivers on our promise to ensure the Green Deal hits the ground running, and make it as attractive as possible so that people start to benefit from day one,’ said Energy Secretary Chris Huhne. The government is still to announce detailed
www.cibsejournal.com
plans on how the scheme will work, but has said it expects it to generate around £14bn of private investment in home energy efficiency over the next 10 years. However, some industry observers are sceptical: ‘I think the funding model is all wrong,’ said George Adams, engineering director at SPIE Matthew Hall. ‘This is not a subsidy; it is an additional cost to the householder because they have to pay the money back. ‘We also have to look very carefully at what
the government thinks will happen in practical terms. What happens if energy bills actually go up because of a change of occupancy or because
people leave their windows open with the heating on? Who picks up the tab? The consumer is most likely to blame the company who carried out the work if they do not get the savings.’ Others pointed out that householders
were suspicious of the claims, and many local authorities are even finding it hard to get residents to accept free loft insulation. ‘Consumers don’t believe the energy saving
figures,’ said Tony Day, energy services director at TEAM Energy. ‘This is hardly a good time to be suggesting to people that they take on another debt. It is a woolly concept that has not been properly thought through.’
January 2012 CIBSE Journal 7
SOLAR ENERGY ‘ONLY AT FRACTION OF POTENTIAL’
Solar energy could become a competitive energy source within 20 years, according to a new report, Solar Energy Perspectives, from the International Energy Agency (IEA). It says some solar technologies are getting close to competitiveness in some circumstances and for some uses. However, it adds that only ‘a limited number of countries have been supporting the effort’. ‘While solar energy resources
are abundant, their use currently represents only a tiny fraction of the world’s current energy mix,’ says IEA report author Cédric Philibert. ‘This is changing rapidly and is being driven by action to improve energy diversification and security, mitigate climate change and provide energy access.’
www.iea.org
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68